Alive
by PoeticLover1996
Summary: I remember all, but know nothing. I stand tall, but fall hard, shattering stars and scattering comets. How did it feel? I can't quite say. It was as refreshing as a breeze blowing on a blistering summer day, but as elusive as grains of sands slipping through my fingertips.


"Alive"

Written by PoeticLover1996

So! Hello there, possible readers! I am PoeticLover1996, and this is my very first Boondocks story, so I apologize in advance if it's whatever. Feel free to tell me your thoughts, and, though this goes without saying, I don't own The Boondocks. The poem, however, is mine, and it's written in italics.

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_I remember all, but know nothing. I stand tall, but fall hard, shattering stars and scattering comets. How did it feel? I can't quite say. It was as refreshing as a breeze blowing on a blistering summer day, but as elusive as grains of sands slipping through my fingertips._

_I swallowed it down, not bothering to take sips. I should've taken my time, for now it's all gone. Trying to sing its sweet song, but I lack words and melodies. Hearts burn, stars shine, and there's so much to learn._

_I don't remember falling, but I know I fell. A feeling so swell, but I think I only truly experienced and felt it once in that moment. So sad that I lacked a camera to capture it in pictures that would've been drowned and blurred by my salty tears, a feeling I, without a doubt, dread, need, expect, yet fear._

"Huey?" Her soft voice brought me out of my musings and back into reality. I glanced at her, clutching my newspaper firmly in my right hand. Her emerald eyes, so full of energy and life, were staring at me, and I could easily see the worry in their endless depths. I could easily hear the concern that laced her voice, and I felt my heart involuntarily beating quicker.

I leaned back against the tree, _our tree_, and readjusted the newspaper in my hands, intent on reading it.

"I'm fine, Jazmine," was my curt reply, though inwardly I was flattered by her concern. It made me feel… _good, happy even_, to know that there was someone out there that truly cared about my well-being. True, I had Granddad and Riley, but they were family. Jazmine was in no way, shape, or form obligated to give two cents about me, and yet she did.

Her lips curled up into a beautiful smile that didn't fail to steal the breath out of my lungs, her eyes twinkling. Hands clasped in front of her, she openly grinned at me, looking relieved.

"That's a relief. You had me worried there for a second." She visibly relaxed as she propped herself against the rough bark of the tree, her legs outstretched and her arms crossed behind her head. Her puffy, cinnamon hair swayed gently in the breeze; there was a peaceful, content look on her face as she gazed upward at the sky.

Silence fell once more between us, though it was far from uncomfortable or awkward. I was avidly reading the paper while Jazmine was watching the sky. Every now and then, she'd comment on a cloud she saw and what it looked like to her, her voice filled with wonder and laughter.

Even though we were both fourteen, we hadn't changed too much. Jazmine still held that air of innocence around her, though she wasn't nearly as naïve as she had once been when we were younger. I was still trying to save the world and make a difference, still as serious as ever, though I have loosened up just a bit.

I guess I owed Jazmine for that one. Sometimes, I felt so confused, lost, and sad, feelings I'm too familiar with. Sometimes, there was an ache in my heart that threatened to devour me. I just did an excellent job in masking them, pushing them to the farthest corners of my mind before slamming the door shut and locking it up tightly.

Some days I felt as if I were carrying the weight of the entire world upon my shoulders. I couldn't tell if I truly made some kind of impact or difference, although Jazmine was always quick to assure me that I did, that the little things were just as important as the big things.

Somehow, she managed to infiltrate the walls surrounding me; somehow, she managed to take off the mask and saw what lied beneath, seeing me for what I really was. How she accomplished this, I'd never know.

"Hey, Huey?" Jazmine asked. I lowered the newspaper and gazed at her.

"Yeah, Jazmine?" I asked, my voice filled with annoyance when I was, in fact, far from annoyed. Jazmine didn't annoy me as much as I led others to believe. You could say she's grown on me; I have known her for four years, after all.

Her eyes were still gazing upward at the sky, her lips curving downward into a frown that didn't seem to belong on her face.

"Do you think things are going to get better?" Her voice quivered; she sounded so afraid and hopeless, and I wanted nothing more than to eradicate her fears and chase away her doubts. However, I held myself in check.

"Eventually. Just because it seems hopeless now doesn't mean it'll always be," I assured her, my voice calm and firm. Jasmine's frown instantly melted away, and that beautiful smile was back on her face once more. Her gaze met mine, and I felt frozen.

My heart began beating quickly once more, and I felt my face heating up in what had to be a blush. A thrill shot through me body and lit it up, and I felt like I was on fire, though I wasn't burning; it was a delightful, welcoming warmth that made me feel whole. Quickly, I tore my gaze away from hers in an attempt to keep her from seeing me blush. That only seemed to happen whenever I was around _her_.

She seemed to be able to bring peace to my turbulent thoughts. She always had something positive to say about me, despite the fact that I wasn't exactly the most positive person in the world. Some would say I was a pessimist, but I preferred being called a realist.

Just because I refused to be oblivious to the horrors surrounding me and refused to swallow the lies society tried to feed me didn't make me a pessimist.

I felt my eyes widen when I feel her head resting softly on my lap. I looked down at her and our gazes locked once more. Again, I was stupefied, speechless, and I could almost hear my heart as it hammered viciously against my chest as if it wanted to break out of its cage.

Her hand reached for mine, and she held it, intertwining our fingers. In the past, I would've pushed her away from me and said something nasty. In the past, I would've shrugged off the fluttering in my stomach or the lightheaded feeling I was experiencing, but that was the past.

Instead, I held her hand back, gently squeezing it, smirking as her cheeks were stained with a pink blush that made her look even prettier, adorable even. No more words are spoken between us as we both turn our gaze upwards, watching the clouds as they drifted across the sky.


End file.
